then the person himself has brought about that which harms him—especially with modern medicines (pharmaceutical drugs), which may have a severe and immediate effect on a person because of an incorrect prescription by the physician.

Some scholars have said that treatment is obligatory when its benefit is considered likely.

The correct view is that it becomes obligatory when failing to seek it would result in death. An example is localized cancer: by Allah’s permission, if the area containing the cancer is removed, the person will be saved from it; but if it is left untreated, it will spread through the body, and the outcome will be death. This is therefore a treatment whose benefit is known, since it is localized and can be excised and eliminated. Al-Khidr damaged the ship by making a hole in it in order to save it entirely; likewise, if part of the body is removed in order to save the rest, that is obligatory.

Accordingly, the closest view is the following:

1. Whatever is known, or considered likely, to be beneficial, where not using it may result in death, is obligatory.

2. Whatever is considered likely to be beneficial, but whose abandonment will not certainly result in death, is preferable.

3. Whatever is equally balanced between the two possibilities, then refraining from it is preferable, lest a person unwittingly cast himself into destruction.

Third: Treatment by means of what is prohibited is not permissible, because the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, forbade it when he said: “Seek treatment, but do not seek treatment with what is prohibited.” (1) And because of the generality of the proofs concerning the prohibition of what is prohibited.